Pregnancy mask « Melasma »

Melasma is a benign complaint that affects the skin and appears as hyperpigmentation (brown marks), usually on the face, neck and decolletage.

These marks always appear after sun exposure, regardless of its intensity, but their appearance is promoted by various factors:

Taking photosensitising medicines (such as certain antibiotics, etc.)
Hormonal impregnation, particularly with oestrogen/progesterone pills or during pregnancy
Skin irritation due to repeated aggressive exfoliation
Oxidative stress
Genetic predisposition (heredity)

It is because this hyperpigmentation primarily affects pregnant women that we refer to it as pregnancy mask, even if the person suffering from this complaint has never been pregnant.

Treating melasma is particularly difficult because there is a non-negligible risk of it recurring, even if the patient respects the following strict recommendations:

Avoiding the sun and wearing sun protection every day, regardless of the season
Avoiding over-aggressive skin traumas (exfoliations, etc.)
Where possible, changing your method of contraception if it contains oestrogen

These recommendations allow us to reduce the risk of the melasma coming back because they “calm” the melanocytes at the skin’s surface (the cells responsible for skin pigmentation).

In parallel, in aesthetic medicine, there is a protocol using depigmenting peels that allows us to lighten, even erase, hyperpigmentation in some cases:

The skin must be prepared for around a month before the first peel (and between each peel). This preparation routine is prescribed during your first appointment and uses bespoke serums.
A set of 3 lightening peels are spaced a month apart, during which depigmenting actives are applied in the practice. In the following days, the skin does not necessarily peel away, and the results can be noticed gradually.

The fee charged for this treatment starts at 250 euros per session, excluding any prescribed skin preparations and sun protection.